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Category Archives: Personal Development
25 Things To Do To Get Out Of A Rut In 2012
By Randy Gage
Hope you’re having as much fun with this creativity series as I am writing it. And thanks so much for playing all out. It’s been great to see so many fascinating and interesting comments each day.
We talked about the neural pathways in your brain. Here’s the fascinating thing about that: You have tens of thousands of thoughts a day. Unfortunately if you’re like most people, it is the same thoughts, day after day. Scientists have discovered that many of these frequent thoughts you have over and over actually create ruts in the neural pathways of your brain.
The more creative you are, and the more diverse the stimuli you expose yourself to, the less ruts you will have. And when you do specific things to foster the communication between the two hemispheres of your brain, this cultivates whole brain synchronicity that geniuses like Mozart, Edison and Einstein demonstrated so well.
Here’s a list of some fun, fascinating, and interesting ways to develop your creativity. There is no particular order here, but a plethora of great ideas that help promote whole brain functioning and stimulate your creative powers.
- Start wearing your watch on the other wrist.
- Move your ring, keys, wallet, pager, and pen to a new place every day for a week.
- Brainstorm 25 alternate uses for a toothpick.
- Take a different route home every day for a week.
- Count to 100 by 2s and 3s at the same time: 2/3, 4/6, 6/9, etc.
- Count backward from 100 by 4’s.
- Check the dictionary and learn five new words every day for a week. (Or a lifetime.)
- Do all the scrabble, jumble, Sudoku and puzzlers in the day’s paper.
- Take a common object like a pencil, watch, or spoon and examine it in detail using all your senses. Think how a five year old would view it. And remember, there is no spoon.
- Identify all the geometric shapes that you can see from where you are right now.
- Sit in a new place for meals, meetings, church, or temple.
- Strike up a conversation with someone you don’t know or would normally avoid.
- Sleep on the other side of the bed. Note what happens when you wake up.
- Use your non-dominant hand to eat, brush your teeth, dial phone calls, etc.
- Listen to and try to appreciate a different style of music then you normally do. If you like country, try opera. If you love classical, try hip hop.
- Take regular “disengagement breaks” when you’re working on a project.
- Journal and mind map using colored pen or pencils.
- Buy a tie or scarf in a color you would never normally wear.
- Decide what your drag name or porno name would be. (No, I won’t be telling you mine.)
- Write a limerick.
- Go out to a restaurant and order a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a chocolate milk.
- Invent some unimaginable or impossible thing today!
Do these things and you’ll be creating many new neural pathways in your brain and spark up your creative juices. Which is just in time for my annual “Night Before Christmas” poetry competition, which comes up on next post! Watch this space…
Please share how doing any of these made you feel, and any other ideas that work for you.
P.S. to my Jewish readers, hope you are enjoying a joyous and wonderful Chanukah!
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Twenty Things To Do Today
by Craig Harper
1. Choose your attitude.
2. Stop waiting for the right time.
3. Make a tough decision.
4. Talk less, do more.
5. Take your power back.
6. Control your controllables.
7. Let go of your anger.
8. Adapt.
9. Unlearn something.
10. Ask better questions.
11. Be kind anonymously.
12. Tell someone how great they are.
13. Look for solutions, not problems.
14. Have the conversation you’ve been avoiding.
15. Promise less, deliver more.
16. Stop seeking permission and approval.
17. Face one of your fears.
18. Look at the world through her eyes.
19. Treat your body better.
20. Play with a puppy.
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Spring Clean Your Life
Spring is the perfect excuse for a home and life overhaul. The experts share their best tips.
Are you mid-way through spring without having had a proper spring clean of your home or life? body+soul’s experts show you how to get started today.
Throw out your old trainers
Spring is a great time to refresh your workout. Start by buying a new pair of trainers.
“A tired, old pair can lead to foot, knee, hip and lower-back injuries,” says body+soul fitness expert Damien Kelly. “Get fitted for a shoe that suits your foot.”
He says seeing a new pair of trainers by the door will also motivate you to use them.
Don’t waste time on a long workout
Abandon the idea that more is better when it comes to exercise. “A famous fitness saying is: if you’re in the gym for longer than an hour, you’re making friends,” Kelly says.
Instead of slaving away on the treadmill, Kelly suggests short bursts in a circuit. “A high-energy circuit, where you’re rapidly moving between whole-body strength moves and bursts of intense cardio, is perfect,” he says.
Start your day with a good stretch
Our muscles and the tissues that surround them need to breathe daily, so commit to starting your morning with a simple stretch. Just 10 minutes each morning will help you release tension and start the day feeling invigorated.
“Try some hamstring, lower-back and shoulder stretches that can be done on the bus, in front of the TV, after a workout or at the office,” Kelly says. “If you can’t motivate yourself, find a local yoga class.”
Get rid of the garbage
We’re not talking about doing a decluttering session. We mean the garbage in your pantry and fridge. If it’s not there you won’t eat it.
“Start by clearing your fridge and cupboards of sugary or fatty processed foods,” says body+soul nutritionist Lisa Guy. “Then go for a big shop and stock up on fresh seasonal fruits, vegies, nuts, seeds and wholegrains.”
Detox your diet
Spring is the perfect time to detox your liver of harmful chemicals. Guy says you can lighten your toxic load by reducing your coffee and alcohol intake.
“Try having an alcohol-free month and buy organic goods where you can,” she says.
Here are two easy ways to detox your diet:
- Sip ginger tea twice a day. The ginger will relieve bloating and boost digestion so your body works more efficiently.
- Drink hot water with lemon juice. It will keep you hydrated and the vitamin C it contains will help convert toxins into a water-soluble form that is easily flushed away.
Clear the air in your relationships
If there are conversations you are avoiding, have them! Clearing the air is important, says body+soul relationship expert Toby Green.
“Withholding the truth about the way you feel creates an ‘elephant in the room’,” Green says. “A good opener is to ask your partner to help you resolve what’s bothering you. You could say something such as, ‘Am I being overly sensitive or…’”
Make time for each other
Keeping your relationship healthy can take time, so pledge to spend a certain amount of time together each week. “The more a couple spend time together, the better,” Green says. “The thread that will keep you connected is the question, ‘How are you really?’”
Throw out those chemicals
Helping the environment can also mean helping your own health, especially when it comes to toxic chemicals you keep around the home.
If anyone in your house suffers from allergies, skin conditions such as eczema, or breathing problems, using natural-based cleaning products could help ease their condition.
Jonathan Boys, from Sydney-based environmental service The Watershed, suggests making your own household cleaning products using ingredients such as vinegar, bicarb soda and eucalyptus oil.
For example, you can clean bathroom tiles by pouring vinegar onto a sponge, sprinkling it with baking soda and then using it to wipe over the tiles.
Become a list-maker
If you’re always going through a to-do list in your head, put pen to paper. Creating a hard copy will clear space in your mind that can be put to better use. Then tackle the tasks one at a time, starting with the smallest.
“Don’t start with the biggest item,” says life coach Connie Diano. “One success means you’ll be more inclined to tackle something harder.”
Create your own rituals
If you have a goal you want to achieve, Diano says a good way to start is to commit to a ritual you repeat daily or weekly. “You need to have a pattern to achieve your goal,” she says. “If you want to lose weight, get up at 6am every morning and go for a walk.”
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How’s Your Life? Is it Working For You?
Try to answer this question honestly without the rote reply of “Fine thanks”
Where are you mentally, financially, physically and socially?
Most people wake up and do the same things as yesterday even though it was crap. Worse still some people are doing the same thing they did last week, month, year or even decade and it’s still not happening for them.
Want to know the #1 skill to make a positive shift?
Watch the video below to discover this simple but not necessarily easy technique.
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Get Happy – The Tip That Could Earn You An Extra $10,000/Year
Need an extra $10,000/Year? Complete the form to your right
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The DNA Of Success – Is Jack Zufelt Crazy?
I recently came across Jack Zufelt’s book The DNA Of Success and wondered if this guy was crazy.
Crazy for writing a book telling us not to set goals.
For years the self help gurus have been telling us that we need to write down our goals, say daily affirmations and participate in visualisation if we want to have a dream life. But how many of us REALLY achieve that?
Well The DNA Of Success goes against all such notions and provides us with a clear alternative that Jack Zufelt has used for years and has taught thousands of students to do the same.
Jack believes that it is our core desires that are our true guides to achieving greatness.
Click on the video link below to discover more about how you can identify your core desires and how you can use them to unearth your conquering force to help you create your dream life.
This book truly offers an alternative to all the self help guru mumbo jumbo. Watch the video now.
http://www.viddler.com/explore/globalbizz/videos/57/
The video outlines the two major questions you need to ask yourself to discover your core desires. By drilling down on these desires you’ll discover which are your true core desires because they are attached to strong emotions.
Is one of your Core Desires to earn more money? Complete the form to the right to earn more cash.
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Fast Weight Loss Diet – It’s Not Really A Diet
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The 2 Minute Workout
We all know that getting a workout is not always a cheap, convenient or time-efficient process. We also know that most of us struggle with the whole getting-and-staying-in-shape thing from time to time. Most of you also know that I’m of the opinion that exercise is as hard as we make it. When we’re committed to increasing our heart rate, burning a few cals, raising a sweat and getting the job done, we’ll find a way.
With that thought in mind, today I’m inviting those of you who are interested in doing something a little different to join the me-dot-com (craigharper.com.au) two-minute workout challenge.
Here’s how it works if you’re inclined to get on board the Change Train:
1. For the next twenty-eight days (from today or tomorrow – your choice), you will complete a mini-workout (two minutes), eight times a day. Every day.
2. The workouts can be structured to suit your day and your schedule. Ideally, you might have an hour or two between each session.
3. Because the workouts are very brief, you can probably avoid changing into workout gear. If you’re wearing stilettos, you may want to slip them off. You too girls. 
4. The beauty of this concept is that you can do it almost anywhere: home, work, the train station… any place that you have some space to move your body. I know many people who have implemented this concept at work by leaving their work station (every hour or so) and hitting the stairwell for two minutes.
5. Of course, two minutes of exercise will do very little (by itself) but two minutes of exercise fifty-six times a week for four weeks is a totally different story. That’s a lot of mini-workouts.
6. You don’t (necessarily) need equipment and keep in mind that the activities you choose for your two-minute instalments can be varied as much as you like.
7. While you can choose any activity that will elevate your heart rate, I’m suggesting that you keep things as simple as possible. That way, you’re more likely to stay with it.
8. Here are some activity suggestions:
* Stair walking (1 or 2 at a time)
* Stair jogging (if you’re a little fitter)
* Step-ups (on a box, step or table)
* Exercise bike (if you’re near one)
* Skipping (with a rope)
For most people, I usually suggest stair-walking or step-ups as a good place to start because (1) they’re practical and accessible (2) they require little skill or co-ordination (unlike skipping) (3) they can be done at any pace to suit any fitness level (4) they are weight-bearing and therefore burn more cals than many other options and (5) stairs and step-ups specifically target the arse and thighs (should you know anyone in need of some work in those areas ).
How to Get Involved
To get on board, all you need to do is leave a comment at the bottom of this post telling us (1) that you’re in and (2) what you’d like to achieve over the next twenty-eight days. You can be as vague or specific about your goals as you like. Of course, if you combine this commitment with a few intelligent dietary modifications, who knows what might happen. Then, every Thursday for the next twenty-eight days you will be required to drop by and give us a brief update on your progress. Being as I currently have sixty-thousand subscribers, this means you will have a shit-load of accountability partners to encourage you all the way to Fitness Central. Or, is it Smaller-Arse Central?
Thoughts / Suggestions
1. Keep in mind that this is not a personal exercise prescription (of course). My lawyer told me to say that . If you have any pre-existing injuries or medical conditions or, if your current fitness level is minus six, you’d be wise to see your doctor before you get down-and-dirty.
2. If you’re up to it (fitness wise), make sure that each two-minute instalment is relatively intense (not life-threatening but uncomfortable). And, I mean intenserelative to your fitness level, of course.
3. Yes, I know that we’re heading into Easter but maybe this is a good reason to get involved? Just saying.
4. FYI, if I was to do this for the next twenty-eight days, at my weight I would burn somewhere around eight to ten thousand extra calories (on top of all my normal energy expenditure).
5. Is this concept fun, exciting and sexy? Not particularly. Does it work? Yep.
6. Every time we exercise – even for two minutes – we give our metabolism a kick in the pants. Which means that, not only are we burning more cals (increasing energy expenditure) via our mini-workouts but we’re also burning more cals at rest because we have an elevated metabolic rate. You’re welcome.
By Craig Harper
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Promptings – My Three ‘Lucky’ Outcomes
February 8 , 2002 I was boarding a flight to Cairns to see my sick father in hospital.
I wasn’t the first time my dad had been in hospital in recent years. While being a relatively healthy man for most of his life, Dad’s health started to decline in his later 70’s firstly with Type 2 Diabetes and then Parkinson’s Disease.
The news that my Dad had had another seizure just months after an earlier one prompted me to make the visit to see him. Although, it’s a prompting I nearly never followed through on.
As per usual finances were tight. I baulked at making the $400 plane trip. My wife encouraged me to go and with her help and a few frequent flyer points, I set out that Wednesday morning to see my Dad and to give him a surprise.
Sitting with my Mum in the hospital room I remember the nurse wheeling my Dad in. It had been several years since I had seen him. He looked frail and had lost a lot of weight.
Tears filled his eyes when he saw me I rushed to give him a hug. Dad was my hero but for a man born in 1919, showing emotion, saying “I Love You” and giving hugs were not part of his demeanor. But the hug felt great.
We chatted for a few hours although he was not really there. Mum nodded at Dad’s loose statements but her eyes showed feelings of sadness. Here was the man she had spent 50 + years of her life with now almost a stranger.
At around 5pm we said our good byes. I gave Dad a huge heartfelt hug, told him I loved him and gave him a kiss.
Next morning as we prepared to visit Dad again the hospital rang and asked if we were coming to visit. I acknowledged we were and proceeded to get ready.
At the forefront of my mind was the thought that had passed away but I put a brave face on for my Mum and we cheerfully went to the hospital.
The senior nurse met us upon our arrival and told my Mum that my Dad had passed away an hour earlier. She was devastated as was I but a sense of relief also came over me knowing that I had acted on this prompting to visit him albeit just a day earlier and to tell him face to face that I loved him. How lucky was I.
Two years later my Mum turned 80. I had another prompting to celebrate her birthday with a very special surprise birthday party.
Mum was a person who didn’t like fuss. She didn’t believe in spoiling herself and would rather go with out to support others But I decided to treat her on this momentous occasion.
I selected 10 of her closest friends to be apart of this celebration. These included some family along with friends that Mum had known since her school days. Long time friends. People who really counted to her.
I swore them to secrecy and planned with birthday dinner at one Cairns’ top restaurants in a beautiful 5 star Hotel. This was going to be a night to remember!
With everybody already seated at the rear of the restaurant my wife and I casually walked Mum into restaurant weaving our way past tables until we arrived at our table.
I can still see Mum’s look on her face when she saw her 10 closest pals sitting at that table. It was priceless and it made her extremely happy and proud that I had done something really great for her.
I’ve often reflected on that night and thanked my lucky stars that I acted on a prompting to celebrate my Mum for all the great things she had done for me and our family but never celebrated for herself.
Eleven months later Mum who had been battling financial difficulties was being hood winked by a greedy relation of mine. As an experienced, wealthy property investor my cousin knew the value of Mum’s property but offered to ‘help’ by offering $50,000 under the market value with a sweetner that Mum could access $50,000 cash today to pay some bills and ‘enjoy life’.
I was annoyed at this deal and told Mum that I thought she was being conned by her sister’s son. I found the whole exercise totally distasteful that a family member would do such a thing but seeing how he had changed after marrying, I was not surprised.
I found another solution for Mum to keep her house but this lost ‘opportunity’ infuriated my cousin.
A war of words raged for nearly a week with me finally giving in and advising mum to do what she thought was best so that she could have some better quality.
On Monday 10 July 2005 my Mum phoned me to say that she had decided not to proceed with my cousin’s offer. I thanked her and told her that I loved her. She said “I love you too son”. We hung up the phone.
Next day the husband of one of Mum’s best friends (who had attended her 80th surprise birthday) phoned me to say Mum had passed away.
Imagine if I had not acted on the prompting to end our bitter feud. What if I did not end my last conversation with “I Love You”.
You never know what life is about to throw at you. When you get a prompting; act on it.
Luckily today I have found a mechanism that allows me act on my promptings with ease. I can help you too. Click here to discover more.
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